Australian Timber Design Awards 2010

The use of timber was critical to realising this initial design concept. The timber framed structure has been twisted, stepped and stretched to the edges of the site. The bedroom wing projects over the landscape like a cantilevered rock shelf and is supported by a twisted structure reminiscent of angophora branches. The exterior will weather and develop a patina of clear finished FC and random vertical Cedar battens to sit quietly within its environment. Subtle scale shifts in the battens and screens offer a sense of depth and some of these have been clear finished to highlight the natural beauty of the timber.

Internally, recycled Blackbutt flooring has been left half sanded to retain some of the original green paint reminiscent of the adjoining wharf. All joinery was hand crafted on site including mixed North Coast Hardwood for the 4m long kitchen island and hoop pine veneer marine grade plywood for other joinery, internal sliding doors, wall panels and shelving. Plywood is used in the ensuite as the curved wall panel around the bath and for the cantilevered window reveal framing the view and extending into the bedroom. The vanity and another triangular bay window in the bedroom, projects from the walls like hanging rock shelves. These have a sculptural quality made possible by the flexibility of timber and the talented local tradespeople.

Recycled railway speelers were used for the driveway and bench seating and economical structural ply bracing was used as a surround to the doors to the deck. Random width Blackbutt was used in the decking and Blackbutt was also used for the handrail framing.